The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 draft class looks solid thus far. On defense, three rookies contributed heavily on that side of the ball last season. General Manager Omar Khan and Co. selected Derrick Harmon, Jack Sawyer, and Yahya Black. Harmon was named a starter early on, while Sawyer and Black served as depth pieces. While Black was a part of the interior defensive line rotation and saw a fair amount of snaps each game he played, Sawyer was stuck behind a loaded outside linebacker room. It's hard to find playing time in a group that consists of TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, but Sawyer made the most of his opportunities.
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Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer stands alongside his teammates during the National Anthem before participating in a professional football game.
Sawyer was a splash play merchant when given the chance. He racked up two total sacks on the season, with one coming in the postseason. Sawyer also had two interceptions, including one against the Cleveland Browns, that brought the team within scoring range. With the recent reports on Herbig, we could potentially see more of the former Ohio State Buckeye sooner rather than later.
Sawyer was solid against the run, but struggled to generate a pass rush at times. One thing the Steelers have been good at in recent years is finding pass rushers, so there's little reason to believe Sawyer won't be able to figure it out going into Year 2. Ohio State Head Coach Ryan Day recently appeared on an episode of Not Just Football With Cam Heyward and spoke to just that. Steelers captain and former OSU alumni Cam Heyward asked Coach Day about Sawyer, and what it was like coaching them.
"And then Jack was the first guy that ever committed to me," Day said. "So he was a young guy, and it was my first recruit ever as a coach, and he just brought everybody together. During COVID, he would bring people over to his house. He was one of the first guys to say he was coming back after his junior year. He was always a leader; he just brought guys together, and he was the ultimate Buckeye."
In 2025, Sawyer helped Ohio State win the National Championship, defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but his best play of the postseason came in the semifinal. He strip-sacked quarterback Quinn Ewers and scooped the football and scored. A play that heavily resembled the Steelers' own Watt.
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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) with a scoop and score to win the game for the Ohio State Buckeyes during his collegiate career.
Now, Sawyer is a teammate of Watt's and will continue to learn from one of the greatest pass rushers of this generation. He'll still have to fight for playing time, but he could definitely see more snaps in 2026.
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Last season, Watt played 811 snaps. Despite missing three games, that number was 10th in the NFL. He is currently 31 and will turn 32 during the season. The former All-Pro isn't getting any younger, and while he's not exactly injury prone, the wear and tear is starting to show. He is clearly not the same player he used to be, and perhaps a dip in his snaps could help the entire defense. Watt will be fresher, and Herbig and Sawyer will get more opportunities to shine.
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers TJ Watt (90), Alex Highsmith (56), and Nick Herbig (51) celebrate a big play in a regular season game against the Baltimore Ravens in the 2025 regular season finale.
Highsmith, on the other hand, is an injury-prone player. He missed six games in 2024 and four in 2025. Luckily for him, he is still blessed with youth and is very much in the prime of his career. Letting him and Watt sit out a few extra snaps a game might pay out huge dividends across the board. It will allow the franchise to maximize its best position group by involving Herbig and Sawyer much more. Guys will be healthier and fresher, and that could go a long way as the season drags along.
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